How Can I be certain I know God ?
My friend I am going to ask you the most important question
that you will ever have to answer in your life.
Do you know that God has a place reserved for you in His
heaven when you die? I did not ask if you hope so or wish
that you do but rather do you know that to be the truth? If
you cannot answer yes to that question I have good news
for you. Jesus Himself said ; "Let not your heart be troubled
ye believe in God believe also in me... I go to prepare a
place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will
come again and receive you unto myself that where I am ye
may be also. " (John 14: 1-3)
The Living God Himself has been building a dwelling place
for you to inhabit for all eternity. However whether or not
you move into that place depends upon whether or not you
have the proper reservation made before you leave this
world. God's book , the Bible , tells us that only those
whose names are found written in the book of life will be
granted access to heaven. It is written there; "And I saw the
dead , small and great stand before God and the books
were opened and another book was opened which is the
book of life and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it , and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them ..... And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death. And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire." ( Revelation 20;
12-15)
There will be no escaping the appointment which you have
to stand before God. All men must do so. The only issue
then will be the presence or absence of your name in the
book of life which He will open. Make no mistake about that.
It is not the account of what is written in the book of your
works that saves you. You see these books are actually
God's ledger with all of ones sin debt listed in the book of
works and all of the payment which God has received for
settlement in the book of life. There is only one payment
which can ever settle that sin debt. It is written; "The wages
of sin is death." (Romans 6:23)
It is also written ; " For there is no difference , for ALL have
sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
What that means is that you as well as all other people
stand guilty of sin before God and that the penalty for that
sin is death.
There are two deaths which we face because of sin. The
first is physical where our soul moves out of our body. The
second was described in the earlier passage which we saw
as being cast into the lake of eternal fire. It is this sin debt
which must be paid before one leaves this life in order to
have your name entered into the book of life.
The issue is not how good or bad you were. It is not how
many good works you did or how religious you were. The
Bible tells us that many religious people who did good
works will not enter in upon that day. We are told; " Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not
prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils?
And in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will I
profess unto them , I never knew you depart from me , ye
that work INIQUITY. " (Matthew 7:22-23)
The sin debt must be paid and it must be paid in blood
which results in the loss of life. No work or religious
exercise will ever pay the debt.